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Birmingham

Grow Your Own Foodfor better food, better health and a better environmenttips, advice, celebrity recipes and community success stories

Outdoor activities and food growing

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Welcome……to our handy booklet to help us all grow better, eat better and get active outdoors.

This booklet shows you how to take positive action in your own back yards and allotments and with your community. Whatever space you have from a large garden to a small window box there is something for you to grow.

Green Gyms® are a great opportunity for people to come together to grow food. It’s a great way to stay healthy, and the fresh vegetables and fruit you’ll grow make for healthy eating too.

You just can’t beat the flavours of freshly-harvested tomatoes, squash, carrots and radish – to name but a few.

Food tastes even better when you grow it yourself, caring for the plants as they develop from little seedlings to full-grown plants, and then harvesting them when they’re ripe, full of health giving nutrition and bursting with flavour.

For full-on community food growing action in South Birmingham, we run regular Green Gym sessions where you can get involved with growing food, eating healthily, increasing physical activity whilst undertaking conservation and wildlife habitat improvements. Our contact details are on the back cover.

Join in, feel good

ContentsHealth for Life in the community .............3

Food growing makes sense........................4

No garden? No problem! .............................5

Seed growing tips ......................................6-8

Seasonal food ...................................................9

Foraging… free food .....................................10

The goodness in each bite ......................... 11

Creating an outdoor classroom .............. 12

Tasty chicken salad wraps ......................... 13

Half the garden soup ................................... 15

Free range chicken with chilli and parsley cream sauce ........................... 17

Carrot salad ...................................................... 19

Squash soup .................................................... 21

Blackberry & apple jelly .............................23

Contacts..........................................back cover

Health for LifeHealth for Life is a partnership programme which supports fun activities that engage people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery. Funded by the Mondelēz International Foundation, Health for Life is delivered through primary schools, secondary schools and the wider community in south Birmingham by Birmingham Health Education Service and The Conservation Volunteers. The programme supports Change4Life and offers a range of opportunities to encourage families towards leading healthier lifestyles.

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The Conservation Volunteers receives funding through the Mondelēz International Foundation to promote activities that engage people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery. We deliver this to the wider community in south Birmingham and we offer a range of opportunities to encourage families towards leading healthier lifestyles. So, how do we do this?

Health for Life in the Community

Green GYm SeSSiOnS

A Free phOne App

A phone app to provide you with handy hints, tips, calendars and food growing advice on how to grow fruit and vegetables. Work out what you can grow in your patch!

A LOCAL hOrtiCuLturAL ShOW

…to be held at the Botanical Gardens in September of each year – get your schedule to enter your produce. Contact details on the back cover.

GArdenerS’ WOrLd LiVe

Visit us at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC and see our show garden which will promote ways for you to grow fruit and veg at home.

Free Seed drOpS

Look out for your free ‘Health for Life’ seeds delivered directly to your door.

Our Green Gyms provide the chance to transform derelict land into community allotments, green a local community park or space or carry out vital conservation work.

Can’t attend a session but want to grow at home?

Find us on Facebook and Twitter, load your pictures

of the food you have grown onto our page

or ask a question.

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Food growing makes good senseEach link of the food chain uses lots of energy, starting with farming through processing, packaging, refrigeration in warehouses and supermarkets, transporting in our cars from the shops, and then storing and cooking at home. So, when you grow your own, you are helping the wider environment as well as doing yourself some good.

We all know about getting your ‘five-a-day’ and home-grown food is a great way of working towards that.

You might have thought about choosing organic produce but been put off by the price. Well, when you grow your own, YOU can decide what (if any) chemicals you use to control pests and promote growth.

We hope this booklet will encourage you to:

• Grow your own vegetables and fruit

• Buy locally-produced food from local shops and markets

• Start composting and cutting down on food waste

It will also help you find like-minded people to create community food enterprises, share land and harvests, and connect with nature and wildlife.

The Conservation Volunteers sell a huge range of vegetable seeds, including organic varieties. There’s a catalogue available by calling us on 01302 388883 or you can buy online at www.tcv.org.uk/shop

Even if your outside space is tiny, it can still become your vegetable plot!

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no garden? no problem!

Herbs, tomatoes, salad leaves, French beans, peas, cucumbers, courgettes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, strawberries, nasturtiums, chard and even potatoes all grow well in containers.

You can grow ‘cut and come again’ salads and herbs in a window box right through into autumn.

Alpine strawberries are intensely flavoured and make great hanging basket plants. Yellow and red cherry tomatoes, peppers and aubergines make colourful displays in tubs and hanging baskets too.

Even in a tiny back yard you can grow your own veg. Make your veg box out of a few planks of wood and some peat-free compost. Mark out a grid on the surface and grow a few plants in each square, sowing successive crops of salads, beans, peas and chard to keep you well fed throughout the summer

Courgettes, squashes and cucumbers like rich soil, so add extra manure or give a liquid feed during the growing season. Grow them in old compost sacks or sturdy plastic bags, but be prepared for the leaves to take over.

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You really don’t

need much room

to grow food.

people even grow

carrots in a well

drained old bucket

filled with sandy soil

Rhubarb in a growbag!

Windowsill strawberries

Salad on the balcony

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tOmAtOriCh in Vitamins A and E

FinAL LOCAtiOn 4Greenhouse 4Container

4Vegetable patch 4Hanging Basket

Check with variety first to determine final location

SOWinG Greenhouse/Propagator/

Windowsill, March-April. Temp: 18-21˚C 65-70˚F

Sow seeds thinly and cover with a fine layer of

compost or vermiculite. When large enough to handle

pot into small individual containers at min 15˚C

GerminAtiOn 7 – 14 days

pLAntinG Out

Outside Varieties: Plant out when they are

15-23cm (6–9 inch) tall and all risk of frost has passed

acclimatise plants to outside conditions for 2-3 weeks

prior to planting in their final position. Trailing plants

in hanging baskets will not require support. Outdoor

varieties can be grown in growbags or direct into

the ground – the latter may need growbag compost

digging into the hole. These will require support

Greenhouse Varieties: Plant in growbags or large pots

in the greenhouse. Provide plants with support

hArVeSt June onwards

tip: Check your variety first – to see if suitable for

growing outdoor, greenhouse or in hanging baskets.

Pinch outside shoots as they grow

prOBLemS Blossom end rot, Tomato blight, Tomato leaf mould,

Tomato splitting and cracking

reCipeS Flippin’ tasty tomato pancakes

CArrOtSriCh in Vitamins A and C

FinAL LOCAtiOn 4Container (for short rooted varieties) 4Veg patch

SOWinG Outside in the final location, preferably a sunny position and well drained soil. If you have soil that is full of stones or heavy clay this will affect the growth of the carrots – it would be better to grow in containers. Early cultivars Jan - March, others April – July Sow 1 cm (1/2 in) deep in rows 15 cm (6 in) apart, thin to 5-7.5 cm (2-3 in) apart.

GerminAtiOn 10-14 days

hArVeSt Carrots will be ready for harvesting about 12-16 weeks after sowing.

tip: Be careful when weeding or thinning around the carrots as if you crush the foliage, the smell can attract carrot fly which is a pest of carrots. Keep weeds down between rows by hand weeding - if you allow weeds to grow they may end up crowding out the carrots.

prOBLemS Carrot Fly, Forked carrots

reCipeS Carrot soup, Carrot muffins

LettuCeriCh in Vitamin AFinAL LOCAtiOn 4Greenhouse 4Container 4Vegetable patch 4Window box SOWinG Greenhouse: early sowings Outdoors: after risk of frost has passed. February – August. Sow seeds thinly and cover lightly with compost. When sowing outdoors in a vegetable patch rake soil and ensure that it is free from stones. Water well

GerminAtiOn 10-14 dayspLAntinG Out When seedlings are large enough to handle pot onto their final position. Protect from frostshArVeSt May – Octobertip Sow at fortnightly intervals to ensure a succession of cropsprOBLemS Aphids, Birds, Bolting, Grey mould, Slugs, SnailsreCipeS Pasta salad on lettuce

Growing tips

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the Health for Life seeds will be distributed to all households in the wards of Bournville, Kings norton, Longbridge, northfield and Weoley during the five year lifetime of the project.

GettinG StArted: if you don’t have purpose-designed seed trays, you can put your soil or compost into any shallow tray with holes in the bottom for drainage.

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rAdiShriCh in Vitamin C

FinAL LOCAtiOn 4Greenhouse 4Container 4Veg patch 4Window box

SOWinG Direct in the ground where they are. March to September. Sow thinly in drills 1 cm 1/2 inch deep. Allow 15cm (6 inches) between drills

GerminAtiOn 4-7 days

pLAntinG Out Thin seedlings as necessary

hArVeSt 4 weeks after sowing

tip Sow in succession every 2 weeks to ensure a constant supply of radish

prOBLemS Brassicas mildew, Flea Beetle, Slugs, Snails

reCipeS Pasta shapes with chicken and peas

pArSLeYriCh in Vitamins A, B12, C, KFinAL LOCAtiOn 4Greenhouse 4Container 4Veg patch 4Window box SOWinG Early sowing: Greenhouse Late sowing: Outside February - September Temp: 10-15˚C 50-60˚F Sow thinly onto warm and moist compost.GerminAtiOn 21 days

pLAntinG Out Thin to 20cm (8 inches) aparthArVeSt 13 weeks from sowingtip In colder months protect from frost with clochesreCipeS Pasta Carbonara

Butternut SquASh

riCh in Vitamins A and C

FinAL LOCAtiOn

4Greenhouse 4Container 4Vegetable patch

SOWinG

March-May

Temp: 15-20˚C 60-68˚F Sow seeds individually in

cells starting off in a greenhouse or kitchen window-

sill. Transplant to larger pots when first leaves appear.

GerminAtiOn 7-14 days

pLAntinG Out Butternut squash can be grown

outdoors but will need acclimatising to outdoor

conditions first and need adequate support to train

up or plenty of space to cover on the ground. Plant

out only when all risk of frost has passed. Or grow in a

greenhouse and provide support.

hArVeSt Check seed packet for optimum

size squash. Harvest before first frost

tip Feed every 10-14 days with a high potash liquid

fertiliser

prOBLemS

Fruit rotting when very small, Grey mould, No fruit,

Powdery mildew

reCipeS Meat-free cottage pie

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ChiLLieSriCh in Vitamins A and C

FinAL LOCAtiOn 4Greenhouse 4Container 4Vegetable patch

SOWinG Greenhouse or Kitchen windowsill Feb - April. Temp: 18-21˚C 65-70˚F Fill pots with compost and sow seeds on the surface. Cover with a layer of vermiculite.

GerminAtiOn 10-20 days

pLAntinG Out May – June. Once there are 2 true leaves on the plant, transplant into individual pots. If not keeping plants in the greenhouse or indoors – plant out in pots or grow bags after last frost

hArVeSt July–October. 20-22 weeks from sowing

tip Stake plants to provide support. Feed weekly

prOBLemS Aphids, Botrytis, Whitefly

reCipeS Mexican bean & tomato soup, Chilli Prawn Salad

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Growing tipsVeGetABLeS

Most vegetables are easy to grow from seed. The growing instructions on the back of the packet have more detailed information.

No greenhouse to start off early sowings? Use a sunny windowsill. You can sow into pots or buy a windowsill propagator. If you don’t want to sow indoors, work out where the final location will need to be for your vegetables. Sow them directly into this location, some seedlings do not like to be transplanted so sowing them directly to your patio container or your window box is ideal!

If your seeds are large enough to handle, space them out into your seed tray, or sow two per pot. If your seeds are small, sow thinly into your growing medium – you can always thin out after germination.

Cover your seeds with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite and wait for those seedlings to appear!

If you plan to move your seedlings outdoors they will need to acclimatise first. This can be done by placing them in a coldframe or leaving them outside in the daytime. For seeds grown in pots, when the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into small individual containers or their final location. If they are already in their direct location, thin the seedlings – depending upon the variety you may be able to use the seedlings in salads.

Ensure that you space your seedlings well, providing enough space for them to flourish.

You can avoid having too much food at once by sowing at two weekly intervals. This means that you’ll have vegetables ready for harvesting at the different times. With strawberries and tomatoes you can plant different varieties that mature at different times. It’s easy to grow salads from March to October.

Feeling daunted by all this? Then just ‘throw and sow’ and see what happens!

Fruit

Most fruit is grown from rooted stock and you can bush plants, cordons or trees. Go to your local nursery or check out The Conservation Volunteers shop. Buying bare rooted stock in the autumn and winter can be a cheaper option.

Read the advice label. Most fruit need a sheltered site which receives sun. Prior to planting, dig over the soil and mix into the ground well-rotted compost. Soil needs to be well drained and not waterlogged.

For bare rooted plants – spread the roots over the ground and cover with soil. For pot-grown plants, ensure that the plant is slightly below ground level. Don’t plant out when the ground is frozen

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Seasonal food

The great thing about volunteering with The Conservation Volunteers on a Health for Life project is that you’ll grow food close to where you live and be able to harvest it at in prime condition. It will be the freshest, tastiest and best value food you can eat.

Producing your own food helps you keep track of the growing seasons – that’s useful knowledge, even for foods you may not be growing yourself. For example when produce such as asparagus, strawberries or beans are in season, the shop price is cheaper and you can make the most of it. Whether you are growing it yourself or picking up a bargain at the market, it’s worth waiting for the right time of year to eat these foods – packed with flavour.

Early summer is the time to enjoy succulent asparagus grown in the UK. The asparagus season traditionally starts on Saint George’s Day, April 23, and finishes on Midsummer’s Day.

Strawberries are available in the UK during the spring (from April and early May if they’re from polytunnels) through to the first frosts of October.

The joy of anticipating the short (but very sweet) plum season is only surpassed by tucking into gorgeous plum crumbles and bottling plum jam to enjoy on toast in the winter.

Juicy golden and dark purple plums are available from July for only a few weeks, so get them when you can.

Crisp and sweet apples and pears are harvested from our orchards from the middle of August throughout the autumn. Raspberries are in season from the middle of summer through to the autumn, depending on the variety.

When you grow broad beans, French beans or stick beans (also known as runner beans) in succession, you’ll be harvesting from May through to October.

Nutritionally-packed root veg like celeriac and parsnips are traditionally harvested after the frosts which intensify the flavours.

Check which foods are in season at www.eattheseasons.co.uk or use the calendar at www.eatseasonably.co.uk

© www.eatseasonab

ly.co.uk

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Foraging……free foodThe Conservation Volunteers’ origins are founded in conserving and creating wild places in cities, towns and the countryside for biodiversity.

More habitats for wildlife and wild plants can mean more wild and natural food for us too.

Why not enjoy nature’s bounty for free – when it’s safe and legal to do so?

Volunteers have planted and managed thousands of miles of hedgerows over the last 50 years. That’s a plentiful supply of hawthorn leaves for spring salads, summer rosehips for jellies, elderflowers for thirst-quenching drinks and elderberries for autumn cordials.

In woodlands, you’ll find edible mushrooms, fungi and nuts. Take a mushroom and fungi guidebook with you, or have fun fungi-hunting with an expert. As with all wild food, you must be certain it’s OK to eat it before you pick it. If you don’t know what it is, leave it until you do.

You’ll have to be quick to beat the squirrels, but hazelnuts (left) and sweet chestnuts are worthwhile collecting.

Chestnuts must be boiled or roasted before eating because of tannic acid. Hazelnuts (also known as cobnuts) are good to eat fresh and green or left for a few weeks to mature.

Picking blackberries, rosehips, elderberries and sloes is an idyllic way to connect with nature and wildlife. Wandering along the hedgerows on footpaths and bridleways, you’re likely to spot birds’ nests and wild flowers.

Many urban plants that you may think of as weeds (dandelions and nettles spring to mind) are in fact delicious additions to any meal. Young dandelion leaves are good in salads. Pick nettle leaves carefully, wear gloves for this, go for the young leaves at the top of the plants. Chop and cook them in butter to add to stock for a soup, make a pasta sauce with tomatoes and garlic, or add to pancakes and omelettes.

WARNING if you are in any doubt at all about

whether wild food you may find is safe, don’t touch or eat it. This applies especially to mushrooms where edible species can easily be confused with inedible or poisonous varieties.

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the goodness in each biteFinding out exactly what goes into your food – while it is growing and before it reaches your shopping bag – can be an extremely confusing business. Confused by ‘GMOs’? Challenged by terms like ‘organically grown’ and ‘farm fresh’ or befuddled by ‘neonicitinoids’? You’d need to be a food scientist to know every chemical and process that puts food on your plate.

Growing your own, on the other hand, means that you’ll have a pretty good idea of exactly what goes into your food.

You can use your composted kitchen waste as a soil improver, you might even dig-in some well rotted farmyard manure to improve your crops, but

Green Gym® members Jean and Richard from Weoley Castle, Birmingham have grown purple sprouting broccoli

whatever you add to the soil to help the plant with as it is growing, it will be your choice.

Most fruit and veg grows quite happily enough by itself. All it needs is the right soil, a drop of rain and some sunshine. It is as simple as that. If you decide to grow chemical-free, you might have to come to terms with sharing your crop with a little wildlife – but that can be half the fun.

What’s certain is that whatever you grow and however you grow it, the sense of pride and self-reliance you’ll have from growing it yourself will not only make it taste a thousand times better, it will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step!

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Creating an outdoor classroom

Local schools are also getting a taste for growing their own. Hawkesley primary school is one of 15 schools in south Birmingham which took part in the Health for Life programme in 2012. Another 21 are currently being supported by the Health Education Service, making changes within their grounds to provide exciting opportunities for pupils and their families to get involved in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery. Secondary schools are also signing up to take part in the programme this year.

Children at Hawkesley primary school now have new beds as part of the Health for Life in primary schools programme. These were installed by volunteers as part of a transformation of the site from an overgrown area into a wildlife-friendly, produce-growing outdoor classroom.

“When we started, the site was overgrown with brambles and weeds” explains Peter Nash, Deputy Head.

“We helped to clear it all, built the raised beds and a composting bin from scratch, and put in lots of other features such as benches and habitat piles. The school was thrilled and we’re now using it to grow lots of different types of fruit and veg which we can then use in our cooking lessons as well as making the school environment a far nicer place.”

now… then

“When we started, the site was overgrown with brambles and weeds.”

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tasty chicken salad wrapsThese delicious wraps are ideal for packed lunches, making a welcome change from sandwiches.

Serves: 4 adult

4 soft flour tortillas

4 tbsp lower fat soft cheese

4 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt

120g skinless, boneless roast chicken breasts chopped

100g sweetcorn

1/4 cucumber (or small bunch of radish)

1 pinch ground black pepper

2 handfuls lettuce leaves

Lay out the wraps or tortillas on a clean work surface.

Put the soft cheese and yoghurt in a bowl and mix together until smooth.

Add the chicken, sweetcorn and cucumber. Season with pepper, then mix well. Spread an equal amount over each wrap, then top with the lettuce.

Roll up each wrap tightly, slice in half, then wrap in cling film. Keep cool until ready to serve.

tip 1: If you’re not keen on cucumber or sweetcorn, use grated sliced radish for an extra tangy crunch instead.

tip 2: If you’re packing these wraps into a lunch box, try to remember to put a small ice pack in with them to keep them cool and fresh.

When you’ve grown it, why not try a few new recipes? Here are just a few ideas…

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER PORTION295 kcals • 22g protein 6g fat, of which 3g saturates42.5g carbohydrate, of which 6g sugars2g dietary fibre • 364mg sodium • 0.9g salt

This recipe has been taken from the Change4Life

Supermeals for under a fiver cookbook. For more

tips and ideas on healthier lifestyles, please visit

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

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half-the-garden-soupHugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares a recipe so that we can all enjoy the delights of freshly-harvested vegetables – from plot to bowl in 30 mins.

500g onions, sliced

olive oil or butter

500g-1kg ripe tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

some or all of the following:

3-4 medium carrots, diced

3-4 medium beetroots, diced

3-4 medium courgettes, diced

a few handfuls of peas

a fistful of French or runner beans, roughly chopped

a fistful of chard or spinach leaves, finely shredded

a fistful of kale or cabbage leaves, finely shredded

Sweat the onions in a little olive oil or butter in a large pan until softened.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for a minute, then drain and peel off the skins.

Chop roughly and add to the onions. Cook gently until thick and pulpy, then add about 500ml cold water (or light

stock) and a good pinch of salt.

Now add the vegetables of your choice, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the chard or spinach leaves and/or the kale or cabbage.

Top up with a little more boiling water, if you like. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until all the vegetables are tender, but only just.

Check and adjust the seasoning, then serve immediately, with a drizzle of olive oil over each bowl.

Seasonal variations: From late August onwards you can add fresh podded haricot beans (i.e. the white beans inside overgrown French beans) or borlotti beans, or the beans from over-grown runners, to the soup. They should go in with the water and have a good 5-minute simmer before the carrots and the remaining ingredients go in.

Recipe taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s THE RIVER COTTAGE YEAR, published by Hodder & Stoughton, www.rivercottage.net

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ParsleyC

hillies

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Free range chicken with chilli and parsley cream sauce

David Colcombe, born and bred in Birmingham, is a chef committed to using seasonal, fresh produce. In this recipe he uses local free range Cotswold White chicken from Holly Farm, just outside of Redditch. The chillies bring a great dollop of mild heat to this dish.

“I use parsley quite a bit in our cooking – it’s an underrated herb. My kitchen likes to keep things quite simple and let the delicious raw ingredients do the talking.”

200ml chicken stock

50ml double cream

50g parsley, chopped

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

3 spring onions

2 chicken legs

2 chicken breasts

2 to 4 mild red chillies

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

rocket leaves

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ingham

In a bowl, whisk the oils, mustard, soy sauce and vinegar. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Roughly chop the spring onion and add to the sauce along with the chicken and whole chillies.

Rub the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Remove chicken from marinade, place in roasting tray and bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes until chicken is entirely cooked through.

Reduce marinade and chicken stock. Add double cream, reduce and add chopped parsley.

Arrange the chicken on a serving plate, pour over the sauce and arrange rocket leaves as garnish.

David Colcombe is Chef Director at

Opus Restaurant, 54 Cornwall Street, Birmingham

www.opusrestaurant.co.uk

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Carrots

Tomatoes

Lettuce

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Carrot saladThis recipe is from John, a participant with The Conservation Volunteers Green Gym® at Hawkestone Road allotments in Birmingham.

2 Carrots

iceberg lettuce or mixed salad leaves

Cucumber finely sliced

1 Spring onion chopped

1 tomato sliced

Olive oil

pepper

Lemon juice

Wash all the salad before you start and prepare a clean surface.

Shred the iceberg lettuce or add mixed leaves.

Chop spring onion, slice the tomato and grate the carrot.

Mix together using a large plastic spoon or clean hands.

Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and a twist of lemon.

Add a pinch of pepper to taste.

dig in!Volunteer with The Conservation Volunteers Green Gym® - Health for Life project and you’ll get shared access to allotment land for growing food on via the project. See contact details on back page.The Big Dig is all about getting people down to their local community garden to get growing. Growing Birmingham is the local contact organisation. www.thebigdig.org.uk/birmingham

Birmingham Open Spaces Forum is a network organisation that aims to bring together all the people in Birmingham with an interest in our open spaces. Volunteers represent all sorts of sites across the city, including allotments and nature reserves. www.bosf.org.uk

Be active: if you’d like to generally get fitter and make the most of what health and fitness facilities the council has on offer, why not join 300,000 other Birmingham residents and get a Leisure Card. www.birmingham.gov.uk/beactive

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Butternut Squash

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Squash SoupCharlie Dimmock’s winter warmer soup is a gorgeous deep orange colour and full of goodness.

“This is best made with one of my favourites - either the Crown Prince or Butternut squash,” says Charlie.

Both of these varieties keep well into the winter, so this is a good soup to warm the cockles of your heart any time between October and March.

1 squash (Crown prince or Butternut)

1 large onion

3 carrots

20g butter

half pint chicken or vegetable stock

salt, pepper and nutmeg

chopped parsley to garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6.

Cut the squash in half – if you’re using Butternut, cut it in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds.

Place the two halves cut side up on a baking tray and cross-hatch the cut surface in to let the heat get inside. Dot with butter, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and roast in the oven for an hour until the flesh is soft.

Remove from the oven when cooked.

While the squash is roasting, peel and grate the onion and carrots, and simmer in the chicken or vegetable stock for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool. Liquidise and put into a saucepan.

Scoop out the flesh from the roasted squash and push through a sieve to make a smooth purée.

Add this to the stock in the saucepan. Gently bring to the boil, check the seasoning and add more if you prefer. The consistency will be quite thick, but you can adjust it either by adding more stock to thin it, or milk to make it creamier

Serve in warm bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

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Blackberry and apple jellyThe Conservation Volunteers Health for Life in the community manager, Eileen Hendon, has collected a recipe for bottling late summer sunshine to enjoy all through the winter. Blackberries usually to pick in early September and last through to early October.

2lb (at least) ripe hedgerow blackberries

Same weight of roughly chopped hedgerow or bramley apples

1 lemon (optional)

Sugar

Water

Weigh the blackberries and add the same weight of roughly chopped apples to a large, heavy based pan. No need to peel or core the apples.

Add water to half-way up the fruit in the pan.

Simmer gently on the stove top until the fruit is a pulp. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush the berries and release all the juice.

Let the juicy pulp cool and then strain through a muslin cloth, into a bowl. A steamer or colander can be used to hold the tied muslin cloth or it can be suspended over the bowl from a hook. Leave to strain overnight.

The next day, measure the strained juice back into the pan and for each pint, add 1lb of sugar. Place over a low heat and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the juice. If it tastes bland, add the juice of a lemon.

Boil rapidly for 5 minutes and test for setting by placing a drop on a cool saucer. Run your finger through it and if a clump sticks to your finger – it is ready for bottling. If not, boil it a few minutes longer until it passes this test.

Bottle in sterile jars and seal while hot. Old screw-top jam jars are ideal. Sterilise by washing and drying in a warm oven for 10 minutes.

Makes around 6 jars.

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Reclaiming green places since 1959®Green Gym is a registered Trade Mark of The Conservation Volunteers © 2013. Registered Office: Sedum House, Mallard Way, Doncaster DN4 8DB. Registered Charity in England (261009) and Scotland (SC039302) Registered in England as a Company Limited by Guarantee No 976410 VAT No. 233 888 239

Join in, feel good If you’d like to take part in FREE Green Gym® sessions then please contact:

Sally t 07760 256 053 e s.furphy@tcv.org.uk

mark t 07909 000 258 e m.lawrance@tcv.org.uk

Health for Life in the community Manager: Eileen Hendon The Conservation Volunteers Suite 107, The Custard Factory Birmingham B9 4AA t 0121 771 4339 m 07795354074

www.facebook.com/healthforlifeinthecommunityHealth for Life is a partnership

programme funded by the Mondelēz International Foundation, promoting

healthy lifestyle activities across south Birmingham, and supports Change4Life. For more tips and ideas on healthier lifestyles, visit

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

[GYOF13/EH-RB1212]